More Parts per Million is The Thermals' debut studio album. The album was released in 2003 on Sub Pop Records. Only $60 was spent on the recording and therefore the record has a very lo-fi aesthetic not present on their later recordings. The album was recorded in "...Hutch Harris' s kitchen on a 4 track cassette," with every song being written and recorded solely by him. Most songs were written and recorded within a single day, as a sort of writing exercise, with some requiring additional time. After interest from Sub Pop mounted, Harris recruited Kathy Foster to the band, a former bandmate and writing partner from several previous musical endeavors. They became the sole consistent members of the band and would go on to write the future albums together.